787-10 First Flight | Boeing Sets 31 March
Boeing will conduct first flight of the 787-10 on 31 March, subject to weather and other factors. The maiden flight will be operated by a 787-10 equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The aircraft is also offered with General Electric GEnx power plants.
The aircraft was rolled out of the production line last month, the same day President Donald Trump visited Boeing South Carolina, and gave a speech with the aircraft in the background.
The 787-10 will be built exclusively in South Carolina. Because the center fuselage section of the 787-10 is too large to be carried by dedicated 747 Dreamlifters from Charleston to Boeing’s Everett, Washington factory, the Charleston factory became the only option for Boeing.
Launched at the 2013 Paris Air Show, the Boeing 787-10 will accommodate 330 passengers in a two-class configuration with a range of 7,400 miles (11,900km).
The first 787-10, fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines is being prepared to enter flight testing ahead of its delivery in the first half of 2018 to Singapore Airlines, launch customer of the type. To date, Singapore Airlines is the largest 787-10 customer with 49 of the variant on order.
The 787-10 retains 95 percent commonality with the 787-9, and accounts for 13% of all 787 orders with 154 aircraft from nine customers, including Etihad Airways, British Airways and United Airlines.
